K&P Chapter 7: Search for Opportunities
Ok, I admit it. I love the simplicity of Kouzes & Posner. As long as I’m confessing, I will also admit that upon first reading this book, before class even started, I was enamored by it. I had no idea leadership could be this easy! The Leadership Challenge is like Prince Charming in the fairy tale of leadership. Everyone who reads it becomes a magnificent leader and lives happily ever after.
And then class started. And we were assigned other readings. Suddenly life was not a fairy tale and suddenly I felt a little let down by K&P. Chapter 7 was no exception.
Chapter 7 kicks off the third practice of exemplary leadership: Challenge the Process. In doing so, it outlines the fifth commitment of leadership: “Search for opportunities by seizing the initiative and by looking outward for innovative ways to improve.” To do this, leaders must 1) Seize the initiative and 2) Exercise outsight.
In a nutshell, leaders are responsible for making change and searching for opportunities to improve their organization through innovation. Leaders do this by questioning the status quo and initiating the change necessary to overcome humdrum situations because these situations “simply aren’t associated with award-winning performance” (164). In addition, it’s the leader’s responsibility to encourage others to also challenge the process.
In seeking out innovation, it’ important that leaders exercise outsight by understanding that innovation is all around you. Seeking out innovation means understanding that ideas can come from everyone: stakeholders, clients, colleagues, competitors, etc.
While I agree with what K&P propose in this chapter and reading it does provide an ounce of inspiration, what I find lacking is that the chapter does not address the very problem with change in organizations—resistance to change and innovation.
The O’Toole reading from last week addresses this topic to an extent that we now understand a bit more about why people succumb to the status quo and resist change. We also learn a little about how “progressives” and “revolutionaries” bring about change. While I certainly appreciate the theories O’Toole presents, I do not find it useful in application.
So, I pose the question: How do leaders overcome resistance to change and innovation? How, specifically, can leaders present change in a way that minimizes resistance?
On a more positive note, I do appreciate K&P's emphasis on the importance of other people in the leadership journey. I’m always happy to see the weight they put on training , educating, and development of the leader’s constituents. In this particular chapter, I really enjoyed the very last section, in which they stress the importance of sending EVERYONE shopping for ideas. While I think K&P mostly focus on a traditional hierarchical model of leadership, these particular instances remind me of shared leadership, which I have enjoyed learning more about in the recent weeks.
I look forward to hearing your ideas on the issue of resisting change.
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Comments
Sometimes I wonder if it wasn't so hard to create change in organizations, if there wouldn't even be the study of 'leadership'. Like Csizksentmihalyi talked about in "The Evolving Self", change goes against an organisms natural desire for homeostasis. So no wonder, it is hard to get an organization, made up of many people who do actively resist change, to change.
In an attempt to be more positive about K&P, if nothing else than for Nan, here goes:
Even though, I agree that K&P need to address this more specifically and with some bullets, I think they put some ideas forth. What are their specific suggestions? Here are some that I think I have gleaned, I could be wrong or may not agree but here goes:
I think K&P believe that innovation, if presented in an exciting, collaborative way will work.
I think K&P believe that if a leader embraces chances to make change and help others to do the same, that forward movement and risk taking will catch on in an organization.
I think they believe shared leadership (although they don't talk about it here) is what grows the possibility of change.
I think K&P see small steps of successes or "mastery" provides good fertilizer for bigger changes or challenges within an organization.
K&P suggest that leaders find ways for people to "stretch" themselves" and develop more self-confidence, and see their peers doing well at always taking on a new challenge.
I think K&P argue that external influences in a company provide more energy for workers to change. They get used to new ideas and the possibility of new things.
I also think that K&P see every person within the organization as a possible change agent- the whole "send them shopping for ideas" is about empowering all people within an organization to think about its future.
K&P also believe that personal relationships and trust can help get members of an organization on board.
I think change- personal and organizational means hard, sometimes unclear work. I also think that K&P are speaking to such a wide audience that they don't want to be more specific, but it would strengthen their case if they were. I think many leaders are most afraid not of change, but of how to help others buy-in, and this is where K&P could be more of a resource.
Can classmates in this instance be a resource? How have you created change in an organization?
Posted by: Kristin Farrell | March 2, 2008 03:27 PM
Exercising outsight -- I have been thinking of this as getting outside my own "box" and looking inside other people's boxes! The idea of challenging the way we do something can be softened a bit by looking at alternative methods already employed by others that have proven successful. It's not totally outside any box, just outside my own -- and there are built-in teachers and collaborators with these ventures.
Changing the status quo is difficult, as anyone who has tried to quit smoking or gone on a diet can attest. A series of small changes has the best chance for a successful outcome. However, recidivism is high, and most people revert to their old habits within five years (especially with diets). This work of innovation and change is not easy sledding. -- nan
Posted by: NanJahnke | March 4, 2008 09:09 AM